


lanterns;

by bloodynargles



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: ? maybe, Acceptance, CRISPY FICS, Post-Destiny 2: Forsaken DLC, The Dawning (Destiny), a tag for whatever this is, also i finished forsaken hi, based on shit ive seen this dawning, cayde/illaethea implied but it can be read without, fresh, guardian pov, i dont wanna tag this as angst/grief cause it isnt? but they dont have like, i hate msyelf, i wrote this standing beside zavala and staring at the plaque so yall know its, ok ill stop, who knows - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 16:35:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17227535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bloodynargles/pseuds/bloodynargles
Summary: They put a plaque in the ground for him. A subconscious way to commemorate him that wasn't something that would pull a tear to your eye. She walks over it every time she's in the tower, they all do.





	lanterns;

**Author's Note:**

> saturn // sleeping at last

They put a plaque in the ground for him. A subconscious way to commemorate him that wasn't something that would pull a tear to your eye. She walks over it every time she's in the tower, they all do. The kinderguardians don't know who its for, what it _really_ means – they've all heard the stories, sure, but they never witnessed the man himself. A shame, honestly. Years go by, sun beats down upon it, snow falls on it, only to be hastily moved to the side by a frame. Sometimes she walks over it and forgets its there, sometimes she waits until the sun falls from the sky and the courtyard is somewhat silent, Zavala having moved from his usual spot staring out into the city – probably to stare out at it in some other part of the tower. She settles down beside it, back leaning against the railing and toes barely reaching to touch the stark contrast of the white stone against the ground. The myriad of people that have found her there in the past, sitting in silence, staring out at the ruined tower further down the wall, they've all said different things. Some have said nothing, a few sat down beside her – they all ended up leaving her there, no matter how they happened upon the scene. She's thankful that its there, that somewhere through the broken fragments of her heart that can't ever be repaired, the thoughts that come and go that blame her for letting him ever _leave_ – somewhere through all of that there's a sense of warmth that runs through her every time the soles of her shoes press against the golden gun.

 

There are some things she will never forget. Some things that people do that seem to be subconscious, but it comes from the heart.

 

She was about to begin lugging a particularly large package she'd received earlier in the week from the courtyard all the way home when a hunter had brushed past her to pick up the lantern barely held down on top of some crates. The Dawning decorations had been lighting up the tower for just under a week now, and by the looks of it, _most_ of the guardians running around had left the lanterns in the same place they'd found them. Though, most only moved them so they could dance on whatever it was sitting on. Naturally.

This hunter seemed to be set in a motive, though. Different than the ones who liked to move in packs, usually picking an unsuspecting warlock or titan to follow around for a day, or, at least until they got distracted. Gloved hands grasp the round lantern firmly, and Illaethea was _interested_ now, watching them softly jog back towards Zavala, but stopping short and staring at the ground. A breath catches in her chest as they softly let go of the lantern, letting it float up into the sky above, the hunter's head tilted up, watching it go until they couldn't see it any longer. She doesn't know if Zavala had been watching, she doesn't know if Shaxx or Tess could see – but she will never forget it.

 

And maybe she can't remember his voice that well, or just quite how his laugh sounded, but she knows that as long as there are hunters, there will always be a story to tell about Cayde-6.

**Author's Note:**

> i had three hunters chase me around the tower because i pressed e instead of w when i got out of my character screen and accidentally high fived one. 10/10 destiny 2 experience | anyways hit me up on tumblr at tinytveit if you wanna see what i shitpost about my ocs


End file.
